cover image The Prince and the Snowgirl

The Prince and the Snowgirl

Simon Cheshire, . . Delacorte, $8.99 (167pp) ISBN 978-0-385-73342-7

Cheshire's (Kissing Vanessa ) humorous novel stars 15-year-old Tom, who works as a professional "look-alike" for (the fictional) Prince George. With his resemblance to the royal heartthrob, he gets plenty of attention from girls at school but he only has eyes for brainy Louise. When Louise starts dating rival Allan, narrator Tom decides he has "only one card to play, and that I'm going to have to play it to the max." He has to be "full-on" Prince George. The fun accelerates as Tom, Louise, Allan and their suddenly sullen friend Jack head to a school ski competition. Tom impersonates Prince George, securing suites and free room service—which works out well until the real royal shows up at the same hotel. The subplot about Jack's troubled home life seems at odds with the lighter tone of the rest of the book, but Tom's concern gives him a reason to express his true feelings, rather than hiding behind princely polish. Readers will fall for unusual Louise: she is not only interested in string theory, but is the boldest skier of the bunch, and the one who pushes Tom to reach out to Jack ("How can you be the guy's closest friend and have no idea about these things? Doesn't that strike you as... cold?"). Even though some will predict where the plot is headed, teens will likely laugh at the situations Tom encounters and root for Tom and Louise, both on an off the slopes. Ages 12-up. (Feb.)